What’s typically one of Palatka’s most beloved traditions left some longtime attendees shellshocked.
The annual Blue Crab Festival, held over Memorial Day weekend, faced a wave of public complaints over skyhigh food prices, fewer vendors, and the absence of the popular carnival that has long been an event staple.
“This is a small-town festival. We don’t need big city prices,” Larissa Ricketts-Owens, a downtown business owner who’s attended the event for years, told Action Jax.
She said she was stunned after having to claw $39 out of her account for a lobster roll that she said came with four meager chunks and was served on a stale bun.
Another festivalgoer reported spending a whopping $50 on a single King Crab leg.
A photo of the styrofoam platter shows the appendage accompanied by a bare half potato, a desiccated piece of corn and an unidentified black item.
Andie Dann, who’s been attending the festival for two decades, said she wasn’t expecting Michelin-tier price points at a Palatka street festival.
“It made me feel like I wasted a whole trip to Palatka,” she said. “I’m wondering if I’m going to attend, you know, next year or any years after this one.”
The Blue Crab Festival has been a community favotire for nearly 30 years, attracting visitors from across Northeast Florida with its live music, seafood vendors, and family-friendly atmosphere.
But this year’s event felt noticeably different to many — and, according to its organizers, not by choice.
Behind the Scenes: Delays, Cutbacks, and a Shrinking Footprint
For the past four years, the festival has been produced by Ancient City Entertainment, under the direction of Jeanetta Cebollero, who says this year’s challenges stemmed largely from delays and budget decisions made by the City of Palatka, a longtime festival partner.
In a public statement, Cebollero said the city made “significant funding cutbacks” and that administrative turnover “disproportionately affected the success of the event.”
The most controversial change: relocating vendors from the main thoroughfare of St. Johns Avenue to the marina area, where the carnival had previously been held.
The city chose not to bring back the carnival at all this year, she said.
“The City of Palatka chose to make some very distinct changes regarding the footprint of the festival to appease the merchants of St. Johns Ave,” Cebollero said. “They also voted to not allocate any marketing dollars to the event this year from the Tourism Development Council, which has been crucial in the past.”
Cebollero said her team waited eight months for contract approval from the city, which was finalized less than 11 days before the event, leaving little time for final planning or sponsorship follow-through. “All of our work, communication, and planning was in good faith, which resulted in delays and distrust,” she said.
City Response: “We Weren’t in Charge of Vendor Pricing”
In response to pricing concerns and operational gripes, Eddie Cutwright, Palatka’s Community Affairs Director, clarified the municipality’s role: “The city was not in charge of anything that had to do with the event,” he said. “We just help her [the organizer] with staffing and also blocking off roads.”
He acknowledged that discussions took place early on about shrinking the festival’s footprint and canceling the carnival after issues with last year’s provider. “That was a common conversation we had early on as a group,” he said.
Still, Cutwright emphasized that all vendor placement, pricing, and festival execution fell under the responsibility of Cebollero.
Looking Ahead
Despite the frustrations, she expressed gratitude for those who worked to make the festival possible — from sanitation workers and public safety personnel to city staff who provided on-the-ground support.
“We would love to acknowledge the hard work of the sanitation workers, parks and recreation, and festival workers and organizers who are the actual boots on the ground,” she said.
But for residents and visitors who have made the gathering a holiday tradition, many are wondering whether next year will revive the charm — or more challenges.
